Music
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Dammit Jacquees, You Had One Job! King of R&B Is Cool, but It Ain't a Kingmaker
When we last spoke (about Jacquees), it was in the midst of Mr. Rodriguez Jacquees Broadnax’s ill-advised decision to proclaim that he was the “King of R&B,” a title that none of the contenders were really laying claim to, but that nearly all agreed was not Jacquees. And because of his claim, he became a…
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No One, No One, No Onnnnnnnne Other Than Alicia Keys Will Be Hosting the 2020 Grammy Awards
It’s that time again—the biggest night in music will be kicking off the new decade with a familiar host! In a press release, the Recording Academy announced that multi-Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys will be returning to host the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. Keys took to Twitter on Thursday to excitedly announce the news, as…
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Yasiin Bey Presenting His New Album Negus Exclusively in Museums Surrounded by Art Is What Happens When Musicians Get Bored
It’s not quite rocket-surgery or anything, but I definitely believe in the maxim that too much of anything can be bad. And when I say “anything” I mean literally anything, from obvious stuff like food or crime, to less obvious stuff like talent, Kenny G albums or Target runs. Put a pin in “talent.” That…
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Yeahhh, Lil Nas X Is Gonna Take His Historic 2019 CMA Award to the 'Old Town Road'
Lil Nas X is still riding the winning wave until he can’t no more. “Old Town Road (Remix)” scored the 2019 Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Musical Event of the Year, which means Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus both took home awards on Wednesday night. Producers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of…
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Smoked Out: Faith Evans Dishes On Smoking Pot With Whitney Houston
Now that Whitney Houston’s former bestie and long-rumored secret lover Robyn Crawford has (sort of) broken her silence about their “physical relationship” in her forthcoming memoir A Song For You: My Life With Whitney Houston, everyone seems to have a story to tell about the late R&B diva. Even Biggie’s widow turned Stevie J’s current…
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It Turns Out, Hip-Hop Will Probably Always Be the Love of My Life
A few weeks back, I attended an album talk for noted hip-hop lyricist and producer Pharoahe Monch’s 1999 album, Internal Affairs (released on seminal label, Rawkus Records), at The REACH, the new arts and culture center that’s part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The talk, part of…
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Outkast and The Neptunes Have Been Nominated to Join the Songwriters Hall of Fame 2020 Class
Following the historic induction of Missy Elliott into this year’s Songwriters Hall of Fame, it’s time to bring in the new class. According to Billboard, Outkast and The Neptunes are among the nominees eligible to join the 2020 class in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Isley Brothers and William “Mickey” Stevenson (“Dancing in the…
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10 Thoughts About Kanye West’s Jesus Is King Because God Is Good All the Time and All the Time…
On Oct. 25, 2019, Kanye Omari West released his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King. The album was released on the heels of his at-best popular, but always well-attended “Sunday Service” performances and is a succinct 11-track album that clocks in at just over 27 minutes. There’s been a ton of news surrounding Kanye and…
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Gospel Music Doesn’t Need Kanye’s Remixing
The familiar sounds of a three-part chorus filled my bedroom as I did the first listen of Jesus is King. Anticipating the iconic gospel/rap mashup, I looked forward to something fully black with melodies over heavy beats. This album, however, missed the angst of “Jesus Walks,” the complication of “Ultralight Beam,” and the epic production…
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John Legend to Remix 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' Will Remove Problematic Elements and Promote Consent
You’ve probably heard “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on the radio while driving along the winter roads—or maybe you remember the song from the cute Dwayne-and-Whitley scene in A Different World. Regardless of where you first heard the song, you may have, at one point, questioned the creepy lyrics. In a new cover story with Vanity…